Tray for use in refining towers



mm @311 949 H. c. GLITSCH TRAY FOR USE IN REFINING TOWERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1944 Han: C G/Yisc WW. 2, fi H. c. GLHTSCH 2,491,726

TRAY FOR USE IN REFINING TOWERS Filed May 15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hams C Glfisch vide an improved tray Patented cc. 2D, 1949 ran roe use us REFINING TOWERS Hans (J. Glitsch, Dallas, assignments, to Glltsc a partnership Dallas, Ten,

Tex assignor, by mesne 11 Engineering Company,

Application May 15, 1944, Serial N0. 535,612

Claims.

it This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trays for use in refining towers. One object of the invention is to provide an improved tray for use in refining towers, which towers are of various types and include bubble towers, the tray being arranged in such manner that its parts including its support may be constructed of a minimum quantity of light-weight material, such as corrosion-resistant stainless steel, so as to materially reduce the weight and cost of the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tray having a plurality of supporting trusses extending across the interior of a tank for supporting the deck plates or floor sections of the tray therein, each truss being formed of a single piece of light-weight material and being shaped or constructed to provide maximum strength, while permitting the removal of portions of the material of the truss at points of little or no stress and allowing access to the fastening means which extend therethrough for securing the deck plates thereon, whereby each truss may be shaped to provide maximum strength and which truss may include removable parts tending to quick installation and the compensation of irregularities.

A particular object of the invention is to prohaving novel fastening means for securing the trusses in position within the tank and which are of such construction as to facilitate the quick installation of said trusses as well as to compensate for mis-alinements and structural irregularities, whereby the trusses may be accurately and positively fastened in position.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a portion of a refining tower, of the bubble tower type, having trays, constructed in accordance with. the invention, mounted therein,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the trays,

Fig. 3 is a partial isometric view illustrating the form of the truss employed for supporting the deck plates,

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of a modified form of truss,

2 a portion of the tank wall with its peripheral ring and a truss support, the parts being disconnected to clearly illustrate the same, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the construction shown in Fig. 5 with the parts in their connected positions.

In the drawings, the numeral H) designates a cylindrical tank which forms the shell of a refining tower illustrated as being of the bubble tower type. A portion only of the tank has been shown and said tank may be of any desired diameter and height, although usually the diameter will be relatively small. A plurality of transversely-extending trays A are disposed at spaced intervals or elevations throughout the height of the tank in the usual manner and the quantity of trays is subject to variation according to the size of said tank and its particular use. Since Fig. 5' is a isometric view crane and of a truss,

in Figs. 5 and 6. A

the present invention relates particularly to the construction and mounting of the trays, only two of said trays have been shown and additional trays (not shown) are normally disposed above and below the trays which have been illustrated. It is pointed out that this invention is not to be limited to use with the particular tower shown and described herein, because it may be successfully used in any refining column or tower having super-imposed trays or decks mounted therein.

Of course, the processing of the hydrocarbon fluid, which is conducted through the trays of the tower, forms no part of the present invention and any conventional method of operation may be employed.

Each tray A is supported within the tank M by a substantially annular, fiat ring ll which is secured to the inside wall of the tank in by welding, or other suitable means and projects radially inwardly from said wall, as is best shown plurality of deck plates or floor sections l2, of stainless steel or other lightweight and preferably corrosion-resistant material, are supported upon transverse trusses l! which extend across the interior of the tank in parallel relation. As shown in Fig. 2, each floor section I2 is narrow in width as compared to its length and spans the space between adjacent trusses or beams I3. The adjacent longitudinal edge portions of the sections rest upon the trusses (Fig. l) being spaced from each other and being frictionally clamped, in such spaced relation, to said trusses by suitable clamps or bolts M (Fig. 3), such as shown in my Patent No. 2,309,309, issued January 26, 1943. Maniiestly, this frictional clamping and the spacing of the sections permits the same to undergo lateral 2,4a1,72e I movement upon thermal expansion and contraction. It is pointed out that the end and/or outer edge portions of the sections are supported by the ring H and are frictionally clampedthereto by suitable clamps i5, shown in my Patent No: 2,341,091, issued February 8, 1944; the ring having elongate slots it formed therein whereby the same may receive the clamps I4 instead.

. As is clearly shown in Fig. 3, each truss l3 is substantially C-shaped in cross-section and includes a vertical or upright plate il having its upper and lower edge and/or portions bent at right angels upon itself to provide parallel, laterally-projecting flanges l8 and I9. Suitableopen- 'ings (not shown) are formed in the upper flange l8 for accommodating the clamps M which fasten the floor sections I! in place, while the lower flange is of slightly less width than said upper flange so as to facilitate installation of said clamps as well as to reduce the weight or quantity of material used in forming the truss. Due to the particular shape of the truss l3, portions of the plate I! may be removed from the vertical, medial portion thereof as shown at 2| to provide blanks (not shown), from which may be formed parts of the clamps, such as washers and nuts. If desired, the lower flange may be eliminated so as to provide an angular truss 22 having a single, lateral flange 23 at its upper end or edge portion as shown in Fig. 4. When this type of truss is employed, the material is removed along a line adjacent the upper edge portion of the vertical plate or leg of said truss as shown at 24. It is pointed out that the removal of the material at the lines 2| and 24 does not materially alter the strength of the trusses because such lines coincide with the lines of least stress.

For fastening each truss to the inner wall of the tank and supporting the same, a truss support is shown in Figs. and 6 and includes a clamp 31 which is adapted to frictionally secure each end of the truss to the ring ii. In employing the clamp 31, the projecting end portion of the upper truss flange i8 is slotted or recessed as shown at 38 and this slot receives and has welded therein an upright, flat plate 39 which forms a part of said clamp. The plate 38 extends longitudinally of the truss, and is of greater length than the slot 38 so as to project beyond the end of said truss and overlie the ring ll. As is clearly shown in Fig. 6, the lower edge portion of the supporting member or plate 39 projects through the slot so as to dispose a portion thereof below the upper truss flange. In order to support the truss with its upper surface in the same horizontal plane as the upper surface of the ring l l, the lower, outer portion of said plate is cut away to provide a projecting tongue 40 for engaging the upper surface of said ring. A screw-threaded pin or stud bolt 4| depends from the medial portion of the supporting plate and preferably has its upper end fastened within a suitable recess, by welding or other means, as shown at 42.

The clamp 31 also includes a lower clamping plate or member 43 having an opening 44 in the medial portion thereof for receiving the lower end of the stud bolt 4|. A pair of spaced, upstanding lugs 45 are preferably formed integral with one end of the clamping member 43 and are adapted to engage the underside of the upper truss flange, the lower projecting edge portion of the supporting plate 39 engaging between the lugs. With the exception of the lugs 45, the clamping member is preferably flat and has its end portion opposite said lugs engagin the underside of the ring II. A nut 40 is screwthreaded upon the lower end of the stud bolt 4i so as to urge the clamping member upwardly into frictional engagement with the upper flange of the truss and the ring. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6, tightening of the nut 46 will draw the plate 39 and member 43 together so as to frictionally clamp the end of the truss to the ring H. The clamp 31 as well as the support 25 readily facilitate the quick installation of the truss l3 and permit slight irregularities of construction.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a tank having a substantially annular support secured to its inner wall and having a plurality of trusses extending transversely across its interior, of an improved mounting for the end of each truss including, a fiat-plate secured to the end of the truss and projecting longitudinally therefrom so as to overlie the support, the plate extending vertically through the truss and having a portion disposed therebelow, a clamping plate underlying said truss end and support, and means for securing the clamping plate to the flat plate for frictionally fastening the truss end to the support, said clamping plate having a pair of spaced upstanding lugs adapted to engage the underside of said truss end and for receiving the lower portion of said flat plate therebetween.

2. A tray assembly including, a support adapted to be secured to the inner surface of a vessel wall, a plurality of transverse trusses, vertically disposed plate clamp members extending from the ends of the trusses and engaging downwardly upon said support so that a complete tray may be lowered and arrested by the clamp members engaging upon the support, said clamp members supporting the upper surfaces of the trusses in substantially horizontal alinement with the upper surface of the support and clamp means engaging under said support and co-acting with the clamp members to secure a tray to the support.

3. A tray assembly including, a single supporting ring adapted to be secured to the inner surface of a vessel wall, a plurality of transverse trusses, vertically disposed plate clamp members extending from the ends of the trusses and engaging downwardly upon said ring, said clamp members supporting the upper surfaces of the trusses in substantially horizontal alinement with the upper surface of the ring, whereby a complete tray may be lowered and arrested by the clamp members engaging upon the ring, and clamp means engaging under said ring and coacting with the clamp members to secure a tray to the ring.

4. The combination with a cylindrical tank wall having inwardly extending substantially annularly disposed support means on its inner surface and having a load-supporting surface, and a plurality of individual deck plates surrounded by the tank wall, of a plurality of rigid beams extending transversely across the interior of the tank between the support means, each beam having an elongate load-supporting surface substantially horizontallv alined with the load-supporting surface oi the support means, vertically disposed supporting plates extending from and fixed to each end of particular beams and over lying and engaging upon the load-supporting surface of the support means, the edge portion of the deck plate resting on the load-supporting surfaces of the support means and the beams, and friction fastening means holding edge portions of said plates on the load-supporting surfaces of the beams.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, with clamp means on the ends of the beams engaging the under side of the support means, said clamp means extending horizontally and being of a substantial width as compared to the transverse section of the supporting plates so as to hold the beams against rocking about their longitudinal HANS c. am'rscn.

1 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date Campbell Jan. 3, 1928 Bahlke Feb. 19, 1929 Stresau Dec. 19, 1933 Nechin June 2, 1936 Lea Jan. 12, 1937 Foster July 13, 1937 Sylvan Mar. 1, 1938 Bartlett July 25, 1939 Wentworth May 21, 1940 Ostergaard Dec. 17, 1940 Edmister et a1. July 1, 1941 Glitsch Jan. 28, 1943 Glitsch Feb. 8, 1944 

